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Saint Lucia
For the Catholic saint, see Saint Lucy. For the Brisbane suburb, see St Lucia, Queensland. Saint Lucia is an island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north of the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and south of Martinique. |- | align=center style="vertical-align: top;" colspan=2 | National motto: The Land, The People, The Light |- | align=center colspan=2 style="background: #ffffff;" | Location of Saint Lucia |- | Official language | English |- | Capital | Castries |- | Queen | Elizabeth II |- | Governor General | Dame Pearlette Louisy |- | Prime Minister | Kenny Anthony |- | Area - Total - % water | Ranked 176th 620 km² 1,6% |- | Population - Total (2002) - Density | Ranked 175th 160,145 260/km² |- | Independence - Date | From the UK February 22, 1979 |- | Currency | East Caribbean dollar |- | Time zone | UTC -4 |- | National anthem | Sons and Daughters of Saint Lucia |- | Internet TLD | .lc |- | Calling Code | 1-758 |} History Main article: History of Saint Lucia Arawak Amerindians first settled on the island in the 3rd century AD, while the Caribs later took over. European discovery of the island is somewhat vague, but it was probably discovered around 1500 by the Spanish explorer Juan de la Cosa. After some early failed attempts to settle there, the French and British fought over the island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, during the 17th and 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times), until Britain finally obtained control in 1814. The island was a province of the short-lived West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962. The island was granted self-government in 1967 and independence in February 22, 1979. Politics Main article: Politics of Saint Lucia As a Commonwealth Realm, Saint Lucia recognizes Queen Elizabeth II as the Queen of Saint Lucia, represented on the island by a Governor-General. Executive power, however, is in the hands of the prime minister and his cabinet. The prime minister is normally the head of the party winning the elections for the House of Assembly, which has 17 seats. The other chamber of parliament, the Senate, has 11 appointed members. Saint Lucia is a full & participating member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Quarters Main article: Quarters of Saint Lucia The island of Saint Lucia is divided into 11 quarters: * Anse-la-Raye * Castries * Choiseul * Dauphin * Dennery * Gros Islet * Laborie * Micoud * Praslin * Soufrière * Vieux Fort Geography Main article: Geography of Saint Lucia The volcanic island of Saint Lucia is more mountainous than many other Caribbean islands, with the highest point being Mount Gimie, at 950 m above sea level. Two other mountains, the Pitons, form the island's most famous landmark. They are located near Soufrière, on the western side of the island. The capital city of Saint Lucia is Castries, where about one third of the population lives. Major towns include Gros Islet, Soufrière and Vieux Fort. The local climate is tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds, with a dry season from January to April and a rainy season from May to November. Economy Main article: Economy of Saint Lucia The recent changes in the European Union import preference regime and the increased competition from Latin American bananas have made economic diversification increasingly important in Saint Lucia. The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is trying to revitalise the banana industry. Despite negative growth in 2001, economic fundamentals remain solid, and GDP growth should recover in the future. Demographics Main article: Demographics of Saint Lucia The small population of Saint Lucia is mostly black or of mixed descent; just 1% are of European origin, with an East Indian minority of some 3%. The official language of the country is English, but a patois based mainly on French is also spoken. The majority of the population are Roman Catholics (ca. 90%); the rest are Anglicans (3%) or other Protestants (7%). Culture Main article: Culture of Saint Lucia *Music of Saint Lucia *Derek Walcott Miscellaneous topics * Communications in Saint Lucia * Transportation in Saint Lucia * Military of Saint Lucia * Foreign relations of Saint Lucia * List of cities in Saint Lucia External links * Official Website of the Government of Saint Lucia * Portal of the Saint Lucia Tourist Board * Saint Lucia - Simply Beautiful * National anthem Category:Saint Lucia Category:CARICOM_member_states Category:Caribbean countries Category:Caribbean islands Category:Monarchies Category:French America Category:Francophonie bg:Сейнт Лусия ca:Saint Lucia da:Saint Lucia de:St. Lucia et:Saint Lucia es:Santa Lucía eo:Sent-Lucio fr:Sainte-Lucie id:Saint Lucia io:St Lucia it:Santa Lucia (stato) ko:세인트루시아 he:סנט לוסיה lt:Sent Lusija ms:Saint Lucia nl:Saint Lucia nds:St. Lucia ja:セントルシア no:Saint Lucia pl:Saint Lucia pt:Santa Lúcia ru:Сент-Люсия sa:सेंट लूसिया sk:Svätá Lucia sl:Saint Lucia fi:Saint Lucia sv:Saint Lucia uk:Сент-Люсія zh:圣卢西亚 zh-min-nan:Sèng Lucia